Memorial for members of the British German Legion in the British cemetery at Haydarpaşa, İstanbul.
The British German Legion (or Anglo-German Legion) was a group of German soldiers recruited to fight for Britain in the Crimean War. It is not to be confused with the King's German Legion, which was active during the Napoleonic Wars.
The leader of the legion was Major-General Richard Charles von Stutterheim (Baron Richard Carl Gustav Ludwig Wilhelm Julius von Stutterheim).[1]
In 1856, members of the legion were billeted at Barrack field in Colchester Garrison, where many married local women.
It was disbanded near the end of 1856, having seen little or no military action due to the war having ended. Facing difficulties in repatriation by having served a foreign country, the majority of members of the legion were resettled in the Eastern Cape Colony, in South Africa.[2] As a result, to this day there are place names of German origin in the area around King William's Town, including the town of Stutterheim.
See also[]
Bibliography[]
Charles Calvert Bayley (1977). Mercenaries for the Crimea: the German, Swiss, and Italian Legions in British Service, 1854-1856. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 0-7735-0273-4.
References[]
- ↑ "Baron Richard von Stutterheim". The South African Military History Society. December 1975. http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol034jf.html. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
- ↑ Keith Tankard. "The Eastern Cape's German Settlers: Chapter 3: The German Military Settlers". The New Labyrinth of East London Lore. http://www.eastlondon-labyrinth.com/germans/index.jsp. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
External links[]
- "The British German Legion, British Swiss Legion, British Italian Legion". Your Archives (delivered by the National Archives). http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=The_British_German_Legion%2C_British_Swiss_Legion%2C_British_Italian_Legion. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
- Jane McSporran. "Great achievers educated at a small East Cape village school". http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/general_topics/thread/1140724. Retrieved 2011-03-18. (incorrectly refers to the "King's German Legion")
The original article can be found at British German Legion and the edit history here.